Welded Chain Mail could stop 22LR, the plate armor did not stop the earliest rounds smooth bore rounds. The solution was to make the breast plate thicker and drop the arms and legs and helmet so the soldier would not get as tired wearing it.

Using just chain mail and at a distance of not more than ten feet, chain mail will most likely shatter from impact of a bullet making it into shrapnel. However, it is useful in defense of knife attack.